South Carolina football: Sizing up Outback Bowl opponent Michigan

The South Carolina football team will play Michigan in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Let’s take a quick look at Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines:

Defensively, Michigan (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) is among the best in the country. The Wolverines are first in pass defense, giving up 142.7 yards per game and 21st against the run.

However, they gave up 180, 182 and 226 yards on the ground to Maryland, Wisconsin and Ohio State, to close the season. Penn State had 224 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Michigan has one of the strongest defensive line, maybe not as good as Clemson, but every bit as good as N.C. State, if not better.

The Wolverines are fourth in the country in tackles for loss (103), tied for eighth with 39 sacks.

Quarter Wilton Speight announced recently that he will transfer from Michigan immediately and will not play in the bowl game. He’s second quarterback to leave the program since the end of the regular season. Alex Malzone, the other, is not one of the other two quarterbacks who’s played this season.

John O’Korn started against Ohio State, but Brandon Peters has played in five games this season. Peters has completed 58 percent of his passes for 486 yards and 4 touchdowns with a 142.2 rating. O’Korn completed 53 percent of his passes for 956 yards with 2 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, which computes to a rating of 101.23.

No player has caught 30 passes, but freshman Donovan Peoples-Jones was a big-time recruit coming of high school. He’s one guy I’m particularly interested to see up close.

Karan Higdon is the leading rusher with 929 yards and 11 scores, but Chris Evans and Ty Isaac have combined for over 1,000 yards, to form a pretty formidable three-headed attack.